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Battletoads (series)
| genre = Beat 'em up, platform game | first release version = Battletoads | first release date = June 1991 | latest release version = Battletoads Arcade | latest release date = 1994 }} Battletoads is a video game media franchise by Rare that began with the original beat 'em up game Battletoads in 1991. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions, Rash, Zitz, and Pimple, the series was created to rival the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' games series.Battletoads Retrospective | What happened to Rare's popular hardcore beat-'em-up, IGN, January 13, 2009. The series as a whole has been quite popular with five installments up to this date and at its apex spawned an animated television pilot. The initial Battletoads game for the NES was renowned for its difficulty, but also received a cult following and spawned sequels for various platforms including a crossover with the ''Double Dragon'' series. In each of the games, the objective is to defeat the toads' nemesis the Dark Queen and her army of space mutants. Video games *''Battletoads: The Battletoads have to defeat the evil Dark Queen on her planet and rescue their kidnapped partners, Pimple and Princess Angelica. Originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1991 by Rare (in Japan the game is distributed by Masaya Games,Battletoads (J) Import - Amazon in Europe and USA the game is distributed by Tradewest) and subsequently ported by Mindscape to the Amiga in 1992 (but not released until 1994), by Arc System Works to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega Game Gear both in 1993, by Rare to the Game Boy in 1993 (as ''Battletoads in Ragnarok's World), and by Mindscape to the Amiga CD32 in 1994. *''Battletoads'': An LCD game was released by Tiger Electronics in 1991. *''Battletoads'' (Game Boy): A spin-off of the original NES game. Despite having the same box art and title as the original NES release, it is an entirely different game from the NES version. *''Battletoads in Battlemaniacs: Released in 1993 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and developed in 1994 for the Sega Master System (but not released until 1996). In this game, Zitz and the daughter of Psicone Industries' CEO have been captured and it is up to Rash and Pimple to save them from being the Dark Queen. Different from the previous games, in this one each character has its own specific abilities and combos. Pimple is the powerhouse, big and with big range with punches, while Rash is nimble and smaller, fighting using kicking attacks. Aside from cooperative play, a solo player is able to play as Rash by switching to the second controller. *''Battletoads in Ragnarok's World: A 1993 port of the original game, made by Rare for the Game Boy. *''Battletoads/Double Dragon: A crossover with the characters from the [[Double Dragon (series)|''Double Dragon series]] with liberties taken. The Dark Queen and Shadow Boss team up and five heroes (the three toads, Zitz, Rash and Pimple, and the two Lee brothers, Billy and Jimmy) must stop them. For the first time in the series, the game offers players a character selection screen. Released in 1993 for the NES, Genesis, SNES and Game Boy. *''Battletoads Arcade: An arcade game released in 1994, also known as ''Super Battletoads. The arcade game, unlike the other games, featured voice-overs and several other features that distinguish it from the other games, such as a vastly increased level of violence. It follows the Battletoads in Battlemaniacs updated formula of each character having his own design and specific abilities and combos, but this time featuring the three toads, Zitz, Rash and Pimple, as selectable characters: while Rash is kept as the nimble and smaller character and Pimple as the powerhouse, Zitz is represented as the intermediate and balanced character. Vehicle levels emphasize combat, rather than memorizing and avoiding obstacles. *''Battletoads'': An upcoming Xbox One and Microsoft Windows game being developed by DLaLa Studios, set for release in 2019. It is to feature three-player couch co-op multiplayer and high resolution hand-drawn 4K 2.5D graphics. The first gameplay trailer for the game was revealed at E3 2019. It has received generally negative feedback from fans of the series for its cartoony art style, with the reveal trailer averaging at over 3,000 dislikes, and the gameplay trailer holding 17K dislikes with only 7K likes as of October 2019.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyJI_uFRZSY A sequel/remake game was being developed for the Game Boy Advance, but was ultimately canceled. In 2013, Phil Spencer from Microsoft's Xbox team mentioned his fondness for Battletoads while asking the fans what Rare games should be brought back for the Xbox One. In 2014, "Battletoads" was re-trademarked in the United States. Spencer appeared publicly in a Battletoads T-shirt in 2015, just days after Microsoft Studios' Ken Lobb (creator of 2013's ''Killer Instinct'' reboot) said they have plans to bring Battletoads and other classic Rare series back "someday". The Battletoads appear in a bonus boss encounter in the Xbox One and PC versions of Shovel Knight. Battletoads and Battletoads Arcade are included in Rare Replay, a compilation of 30 Rare games released for the Xbox One in 2015. Rash appears as a playable guest character in the third season of the fighting game Killer Instinct, available on Xbox One and Windows. Battletoads: The Official Battlebook, the Tradewest-authorized guide to the Battletoads console games, was written by Steve Schwartz and published in 1994 by Prima Publishing. Detailed playing tips, strategies, and secrets were provided for the following games: Battletoads (NES and Genesis), Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (Super NES), and Battletoads/Double Dragon (NES, Genesis, and Super NES). Cartoon Reception In 2010, Game Informer included Battletoads among ten gaming franchises that deserve a revival, and precisely, "a true HD sequel". In 2012, Forbes listed it as one of five video game franchises "that need to come back from the dead", adding that a modern Battletoads "should retain its side-scroller qualities while adopting the 2.5D style" similar to Mark of the Ninja. The series' return was also demanded by other outlets, including Complex, Maxim and GameRevolution. On the other hand, the animated version of Battletoads was very badly received. It was included on the lists of five "worst one-shot TV cartoons ever made" by Topless Robot in 2008 and eight "awful TV shows that were clearly doomed to fail" by WhatCulture in 2013. References External links *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orrJs6T50O4 Battletoads Review] at the Toon City News * * * *[https://www.imdb.com/find?q=battletoads;s=all Battletoads] at the Internet Movie Database Category:Battletoads Category:Rare (company) Category:Microsoft franchises Category:Television series by DIC Entertainment Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1991